Omari Hardwick, who is nominated for a BET Award, is an actor who became an outstanding personality through his portrayal of the character of James Ghost St. Patrick in the crime series Power, which earned him several awards and nominations. The former college football star, whose playing career was ended by injury, decided to become an actor in front of the camera and began this journey by appearing as an extra in sitcoms such as Friends and In the House.
He has since become a famous actor in Tinseltown, with more than thirty acting roles in his name. In addition to his acting talent, Hardwick is also known for his writing talent, which he has wonderfully demonstrated in more than 4,000 poems. His extraordinary poetic quality also earned him a place among the top five in the US National Poetry Slam Competition in 2003 and 2004. More details about the early life, achievements, and married life of the former athlete can be found below.
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Quick Facts About Omari Hardwick
Early Life
The capable poet was born on 9 January 1974 as Omari Latif Hardwick, the son of parents Clifford Hardwick III, lawyer, and Joyce Johnson. His birthplace is Savannah, but he grew up in Decatur, Georgia, United States. During his childhood and youth, Omari Hardwick developed a talent for poetry, which he cultivated and made into his profession. He completed his high school education at the Marist School in Atlanta. There he participated in competitions in soccer, basketball, and baseball.
After his sports career, he led his high school soccer team to a national championship title. While in college, he played a year as a defensive back for the Furman Purple Paladins before moving to the University of Georgia, where he also played in the same position. Despite his inclination for sports, Omari Hardwick never let go of his love of art. This led him to study drama as a minor subject during his college years.
After graduating, he wanted to pursue a career as a professional footballer, but unfortunately, his dream was shattered by injuries during his brief stint with the San Diego Chargers, the National Football League franchise. Nevertheless, he made use of his acting abilities by taking acting classes in New York and later in Los Angeles. During this time he struggled for acting roles that plunged him into financial delirium and as a result, he began taking odd jobs to make ends meet.
Career Endeavors and Accomplishments
Omari Hardwick began his acting career with appearances as an extra in Friends and the House. In 2001 he made his film debut with the title “Circles”. Three years later he had his career breakthrough when he played the character of Dante Ponce in the TV movie “Sucker Free City”. After that, other roles for the actor began to appear, such as in Beauty Shop (2005), Gridiron Gang (2006), The Guardian (2006), Miracle at St. Anna (2008), and CSI: Miami (2008).
After his portrayal of Ty Curtis in a leading role in 20 episodes of the series “Dark Blue”, he was introduced to the mainstream in 2009. As a result of his performance, the good-looking actor received a nomination for the NAMIC Vision Award. Similarly, he was nominated for the 2013 Image Awards and also took home a Black Reel Award for Outstanding Actor, TV movie, or mini-series based on his portrayal of Andrew Daniels in Being Mary Jane.
What’s more, he later received roles in Things Never Said (2013), The Last Letter (2013), Reach Me (2014), and Lap Dance (2014) before appearing as Ghost (James St. Patrick); the character he has been describing in Power since 2014 until today. The series has earned him several recognitions, including the Vision Award for Best Performance – Drama in 2016 and the Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series in 2018 and 2019, along with numerous nominations.
In addition to his efforts, the highly qualified poet has co-founded several theater groups, including Actor’s Lounge and Plan B Inc. theater company. He is also the owner of the production company Brave Life Films.
Things To Know About Omari Hardwick Family Life
1. Omari Hardwick is Happily Married
The award-winning actor is a happily married man who has never failed to inform the world about his thriving married life whenever necessary. He celebrated his union with his longtime admirer Jennifer Pfautch on May 4, 2012, in Kansas City. Despite the hurdles imposed on them by their interracial marriage, the two lovebirds have grown strong and are proud parents of two adorable children: a daughter named Nova and a son named Brave.
2. Who is His Wife?
Even though Jennifer Pfautch is often overshadowed by her husband’s fame, she has a seductive profile. Born in Saint Louis, Jennifer Pfautch is a graduate of the Lutheran University of California, where she studied journalism, communications, and media studies. According to her LinkedIn profile, she has worked as a creative executive at Deacon Entertainment, as a publicist at Paradigm Talent Agency and D’Orazio & Associates, and as a freelance account manager at Syndicate Media Ground.
She currently works at her husband’s production company, Brave Life LLC, as Senior Vice President Development. She also runs a website where she publishes many inspiring quotes and healthy recipes. Also, Pfautch has been a strong supporter of her husband’s career, encouraging him to take steps that have changed the course of his career, including taking on the role of the ghost in the Power series.
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3. They Have Been Together For A Long Time
Although Omari Hardwick and his spouse have been married for nearly eight years, they have been together as a couple for more than a decade. How the two met is still a mystery that has yet to be solved, but through a contribution from Pfautch’s Instagram, she revealed that they had been together for a long time and had also gone through some difficult times before becoming man and wife. She spoke about their miscarriage and how they lost their first son, who was stillborn in November 2008 at the age of almost eight months.
4. Marital Challenges
Since Hardwick and his flock became husband and wife, they have faced some marital challenges due to their racial background. Some of his fans, who still uphold the ideology of racial segregation, have repeatedly criticized the actor of African-American descent and questioned his decision to marry Pfautch, a Caucasian of Caucasian descent.
His better half, on the other hand, was not spared by the drama, as she was heavily insulted and badly insulted by these online roles. Interestingly, Omari Hardwick proved to be a loving husband by constantly defending his wife against the searing heat of his rude fans, who are mostly from the black community.
Jennifer Pfautch remains true to her value as a love ambassador based on the information on her website and often responds to her haters by wishing them Happy Loving Day while celebrating the Supreme Court’s decision to repeal all state laws prohibiting racial marriage in 1967.
5. His Past Relationships
Before he met his current wife, Omari Hardwick is said to have dated former model and actress Joy Bryant, who is best known for her role in Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins. Bryant allied with her husband, Dave Pope, a multi-award-winning stuntman, in 2008, and further details of the actor’s past affairs, if any, have yet to be released to the public.
